


The Party Favor

by CoffeeAddict80



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21781759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeAddict80/pseuds/CoffeeAddict80
Summary: After Blaine’s brother ditches him at a party where he doesn’t know anyone, he’s approached by Kurt who has a big favor to ask.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Comments: 50
Kudos: 176





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, I was going to submit the basic idea for this story as a prompt for the [@gleepotluckbigbang](https://gleepotluckbigbang.tumblr.com/) but I got busy then forgot about it. Then the other day I wanted to write something but didn’t have access to any of my WIPs. I remembered this prompt so I decided to write it myself thinking it would be quick and easy and less than 5k for the whole fic. I was wrong.  
>  **This fic is complete**

Blaine collapsed onto the bed in his hotel room and sighed. Today had been such a long day, and it wasn’t even 8:00 pm yet. After an almost 6 hour flight that left L.A. at 5:00 am, having to reschedule the delivery of – and arrange proper storage for – all of his belongings that were en route from Los Angeles to New York, then dealing with making sure everything at the new office was running smoothly, he was feeling slightly grateful for the delays that meant that his new apartment wouldn’t be ready for him to move into until tomorrow. Blaine was so worn out that he wasn’t sure he’d have enough energy to unpack anything, let alone set up his bed for a proper night’s sleep.

He had been lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, for about 20 minutes when there was a knock on his door. Blaine groaned and forced himself to get up to answer it. As he suspected, his brother, Cooper, was standing on the other side. Once Blaine had opened the door, Cooper walked into Blaine’s room and took a seat on the bed before Blaine could even say ‘hello’.

“We’re going out tonight. So you need to hurry up and change because the party starts in 30 minutes; and you are not going out dressed like that,” Cooper told him as soon as he was seated.

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Blaine asked. “Wait. Going out? Where? Why?”

“Because, little brother, despite the delays with your apartment, this is your first official night as a New York City resident, and you need to meet some people,” Cooper replied. “And those clothes you have on might be okay for working at the office, but definitely not for going to a party. Yes, I said _party_. Because while you were at your new office playing Mr. Boss Man, I was chatting up the cute hotel receptionist that checked us in earlier. Her friend is having a huge 30th birthday celebration in one of the ballrooms downstairs tonight, and _we_ were invited.”

Blaine gaped at his brother, disbelieving. “How were _we_ invited to a birthday party for someone neither of us has ever met?”

“Well, Jessica – that’s the receptionist’s name – asked me if I’d be her date to the party,” Cooper began. “I reminded her that I was only in town to spend time with you before we’re suddenly living on opposite sides of the country, so she told me that you were welcome to come too.”

“So let me get this straight…” Blaine said, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head, “you want me to be the third wheel on your _date_ by going to a party where I don’t know anyone at all – including the host? Cooper, that’s ridiculous!”

“Oh, come on, Blainey!” Cooper whined. “This could be a really great opportunity for you to meet some new people – people that _don’t_ work for you. I wouldn’t feel right going to a party and having fun knowing that you’re up here in your room all alone on a Friday night. Please, Squirt? It’s just one little party. You don’t have any plans or meetings scheduled for tomorrow until mid-afternoon – when you have to meet the movers at your new place – so it’s not like you have an early morning that you need to prepare for. And I’m told there will be an open bar at this party. Plus, the party is within the hotel; so if it turns out to be a total bust and you _really_ hate it there, then you can just get on the elevator and head back to your room. So, what do you say? You in?”

Blaine tossed his head back, groaning loudly. “Fine!” he agreed, reluctantly. “I’ll go for a little while but I’m not staying out that late. I’ve had a long day and I’m feeling pretty tired. But, um, this party… is it casual dress? Formal? Somewhere in between? Since it’s a birthday party, do I need to bring a gift?”

“Wear something _nice_ , but not formal. Like, those black jeans with the red stitching,” Cooper suggested. “Those are in the suitcase you have with you, right? They’re not on the moving van? Guys are always giving you compliments when you wear those, so they should be good. Just don’t wear any of those ugly sweater vests that you love. This is a party, not a nerd convention. How you manage to run a successful fashion magazine with your sense of style is _beyond_ comprehension. And Jessica didn’t mention anything about gifts to me, so I think you’re okay without one.”

“I’m ignoring that remark about my sweater vests, but I will actually take your suggestion about those jeans,” Blaine replied. “I have a nice plaid button-up shirt with the same shades of red and black that I can wear with it too.”

“Great! Time’s ticking, so hurry up and get ready. I’ll be back to pick you up in fifteen minutes,” Cooper told him, getting up off the bed.

\---

Blaine was straightening out his bowtie, checking over his appearance in the mirror, when Cooper knocked on his door again. Satisfied with how he looked, he went to let his brother in. “Hey, Coop,” he said in greeting.

Cooper looked over his brother’s outfit and shrugged. “I guess it’ll have to do. Come on; Jessica is waiting for us in the lobby.”

Walking into the ballroom where the party was being held, Blaine felt so out of place. Everyone seemed to be caught up in conversations and interacting with one another. Some girl came running up to Jessica excited to see her; then Jessica introduced the girl to Cooper and began to chat about something completely different, seemingly forgetting that Blaine was standing there next to them.

Blaine looked around the room, spotted the bar, then alerted Cooper that he was going to get a drink. Cooper nodded at him then walked off with Jessica and her friend to another part of the room. After losing sight of Cooper and Jessica, Blaine stayed at the bar, nursing his cocktail and looking sullen. He was briefly rejoined by Cooper a few minutes later.

“I’m just grabbing some drinks for me and Jess. You’re okay to be on your own for a while, right?” Cooper asked him.

“We just got here, and you’re already ditching me?” Blaine replied, in disbelief. “Coop, you are _literally_ the only person at this party that I know. You can’t just abandon me. What happened to wanting to spend time with me before you have to go back home to L.A.?”

“If you were into girls, you’d understand. I mean, _look_ at her,” Cooper said, motioning toward his date. “You’re my brother, and I love you, but a man has to have priorities. Besides, you’re a friendly person. People like you. Mingle. Strike up a conversation with someone. Meet some new people. Hit on a few guys. I gotta get back to my date. I’ll catch up with you later. Then again, depending on how the night goes, maybe I won’t.”

“Cooper…” he said, trailing off as his brother walked away from him. Blaine let out a sigh and shook his head in disappointment.

“Excuse me?” a voice said, breaking Blaine out of his thoughts.

Blaine turned to the person that spoke and smiled softly at the nervous looking man he saw in front of him. “Yes?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with your, uh, brother, is it?” the man said.

Blaine nodded, “Yeah, that was my brother. And it’s fine. It’s not like we were discussing anything confidential.”

“Well, I’m still sorry,” he said. “But, um, I know that we don’t know each other at all, but since you are – if I am interpreting your conversation correctly – gay and basically here by yourself, I was hoping you could do me a sort of big favor?”

“What kind of favor?” Blaine asked, cautiously intrigued.

“Would you mind pretending to be my boyfriend for the rest of this party?” the man asked. Blaine’s eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up in shock, causing the man to hurry to explain, “It’s just…I was told that my ex wasn’t going to be here tonight, but he just walked in – _with_ the guy that he left me for. And since the reason he gave me for ending our relationship was that I am a cold, heartless, ice queen that is incapable of caring about anything except my job, I _really_ don’t want him to see me here alone and think that he was right about me.”

Blaine smiled and nodded in understanding, extending his hand toward the man. “My name’s Blaine.”

The man shook the offered hand and replied, “Kurt.”

“Kurt,” he repeated. “It’s nice to meet you. So…how long have we been dating?”

Kurt sighed in relief and smiled at Blaine. “You are a lifesaver! Thank you so much! Josh and I only broke-up two months ago, so I was thinking, maybe you and I have been together for…three or four weeks? I don’t want him thinking that I just jumped into a new relationship as soon as we broke-up, but I also don’t want him thinking I literally just met you either, you know?”

“That makes sense,” Blaine agreed. “That time frame actually works for me too. Even though I’ve technically only been living in New York for less than 24 hours, I have been making frequent trips into the city for the past three months to get my new office up and running. So, I wouldn’t even have to lie about my job or where I’m from or anything like that. Because we could say that we met on one of my business trips last month and have been keeping in touch and meeting up again whenever I’m in town. It would even account for why none of your friends at this party have met me yet – in case he asks one of them about me later or something.”

“That’s brilliant!” Kurt exclaimed. “You said you just moved to New York? Where from?”

“I’ve been living in Los Angeles for the past…oh, 12 years?” he answered. “But I grew up in Ohio.”

“Really? That’s crazy. I’m originally from Ohio too,” Kurt told him.

“Well, if anyone asks, we can say that’s something we bonded over when we first met,” Blaine said. In a teasing voice he continued, “But before we get carried away with that… What is it that you do for a living? You know, considering it is the only thing you are capable of caring about?”

Kurt rolled his eyes and made a soft groan of annoyance at the reminder. “I’m a fashion designer. A rather unsuccessful fashion designer, but a fashion designer nonetheless,” he replied. “I actually own a small boutique that I use to sell my designs. I do also sell clothing and items by other designers too, just to fill out the store and help draw people in. But I’m hoping that one day I can phase all of that stuff out. I’ve already completely eliminated anything that wasn’t made by me from my store’s website; well, actually, I never included any of it on my store’s website to begin with, but you get what I mean, right? And I guess I do spend a lot of time thinking about or talking about work, but it’s to be expected when I not only have to design and make all the clothing myself, but I have to run an actual store to sell it all as well. I mean, I love my store, and I love my designs; I just wish my stuff sold as well as the other items, so I could feel like my time and energy was worth it – like I was appreciated. I care a lot about the work that I do and the clothes that I make. I’ve always had this belief that fashion has no gender, and I try to convey that with a lot of my designs by making clothing that can be worn by _anyone_. And I put a lot of passion and dedication into it because I want others to experience and enjoy fashion in the same way. I don’t want people thinking they have to be restricted to certain labels. Is that so wrong to ask?” He paused, mentally stopping himself from going on a long tangent about the topic, then looked back up at Blaine. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to go off like that. But, um, what about you? What do you do? You mentioned something about a new office?”

“You don’t have to apologize for being passionate about the work you do. It’s an admirable quality. As for me, I’m a layout editor and a photographer for the publishing company that I co-own with a friend of mine,” Blaine answered. “The company is based in L.A., but we’re in the process of opening up a second office here in New York. We thought it was important that one of us have a presence in the new office, and since my business partner has a wife and kids, I didn’t think it would be fair for him to have to uproot his whole family. Plus, I’ve always loved being in New York, so it made sense that I be the one to oversee the New York division.”

“Wow…and you said you’ve only been in New York for a _day_?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, I flew in this morning. Well, I left L.A. in the morning, but I didn’t touch down in New York until this afternoon,” Blaine told him. “My brother, Cooper, came with me to help me move into my new place; he flies back to L.A. on Monday. Unfortunately, there were some delays with the minor repairs and renovations that needed to be done to my new apartment, so I actually can’t officially move in until tomorrow afternoon.”

“So where are you guys staying until then? Not at your office, right?” Kurt wondered.

“Oh, no. No, we actually have a couple of rooms here at this hotel for the night,” Blaine replied. “I guess the receptionist that checked us in is friends with the birthday host? Whoever that is. Anyway, she invited Cooper as her date, and I was asked to tag along out of pity.”

Kurt made a soft sound of understanding and appeared like he was going to say something when his body tensed, and his eyes focused on something behind Blaine. “My ex is coming this way. It’s show time,” Kurt whispered.

Blaine smiled at him reassuringly as he reached out a hand to give Kurt’s arm a soothing, gentle rub. He leaned closer to Kurt and in a calm, comforting voice, murmured into his ear, “You’ll be fine. Don’t stress.”

“Kurt,” a man, that Blaine could only assume was Kurt’s ex, Josh, said as he approached them. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here tonight. I thought you’d have to work. Like you always do. You remember my boyfriend, Phillip, don’t you?”

“How could I forget?” Kurt said, through gritted teeth while plastering a fake smile on his face.

Blaine cleared his throat to get Kurt’s attention, and looked at him quizzically. “Kurt, honey, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”

“Honey?” the man questioned, skeptically.

“Oh, right,” Kurt answered, distractedly. “Sorry, I don’t know where my manners went. Um, this is Josh,” he pointed to the man that just spoke, “and this is his boyfriend, Phillip. Guys, I’d like to introduce you to Blaine. My boyfriend.”

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘boyfriend’?” Josh asked, disbelieving.

Blaine ignored the question, looking at Kurt with a quirked eyebrow, and speaking before Kurt could answer the question. “Wait. _This_ is Josh?” he checked, speaking to Kurt as if Josh wasn’t listening. “As in your _ex_ , Josh?” At Kurt’s nod, Blaine continued, “Huh. He’s definitely… _different_ …than what I was expecting. But I thought you had said he wasn’t going to be here tonight?”

“That’s what Chandler told me,” Kurt replied.

“Is anyone going to answer my question?” Josh asked. “Since when do you have a boyfriend? Chandler didn’t mention this to me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize my personal life was any of your concern anymore,” he snarked.

“Honey,” Blaine said, soothingly, placing a gentle hand on Kurt’s arm. “I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. But you do still have mutual acquaintances, so it makes sense that he’d be curious why he hasn’t heard any of them mention me yet.” Turning to Josh, Blaine continued, “Kurt and I met last month. But we’ve only officially been together for 3 weeks now. The relationship is still new, so we’ve been keeping a bit of a low profile.”

Josh snorted a brief laugh. “Low profile? Okay, now I know you’re lying. So who are you really? Because Kurt is incapable of doing _anything_ in a ‘low profile’. He always needs to have a spotlight on him.”

“Excuse me!?” Kurt said, eyes flashing with barely contained rage. “ _I’m_ the one that always needs to have a spotlight on me? Me? I’m fairly certain you are confusing me with your own over-inflated ego, you…” he clenched his jaw and shook his head while balling his hands into fists as he bit back the comments threatening to escape.

Blaine placed his half-finished drink on top of the bar then moved to stand in front of Kurt, blocking his vision of Josh. He very delicately cupped Kurt’s face in both of his hands, looked straight into Kurt’s eyes, and gave him a comforting smile. “Look at me. Breathe, okay? Take a deep breath, hold it, let it out slowly.” Blaine demonstrated the technique as he instructed Kurt, watching to make sure Kurt followed along. “Good. Again. In…and out. Just like that. Feel better?” He released Kurt’s face after searching his eyes for any lingering anger and finding none.

Kurt took one more deep breath, then smiled and nodded at Blaine. “Yes, actually. Thank you.”

“Aww, there’s that beautiful smile that I love,” Blaine said, winking at Kurt while giving him a cheeky grin. Wanting to put a little more space between Kurt and his ex, Blaine suggested, “What do you say we go dance?” He then abruptly turned around to see Josh looking at them with a confused expression. “You don’t mind if I steal my boyfriend away, do you? I’m sure you have other people you need to talk to.” Without waiting for a response from Josh, Blaine turned back to Kurt, raising his eyebrows in question as he offered an arm to escort him out to the dance floor.

\---

Kurt blushed as he took the offered arm and allowed Blaine to lead him away from his ex. Once they were on the dance floor in the middle of a group of people, Blaine took hold of Kurt’s hand, wrapped an arm around Kurt’s waist, and began swaying to the music. “Thank you for that,” Kurt murmured, as he rested his head against Blaine’s. “Not just for preventing me from assaulting Josh, but everything. Going through with the whole charade…and being surprisingly good at it.”

“You are very welcome,” Blaine said. “I’m so glad that my four years of training at drama school and my bachelor’s degree in theatre were _finally_ able to pay off for something. Also, we probably shouldn’t get too complacent just yet. After all, we still have an audience, so I don’t think this charade is over.”

“I noticed that too,” he said, briefly glancing over to where Josh was watching them with suspicion. “He’ll probably be checking in with us from time-to-time throughout the entire evening.” Kurt then paused, pulling his head back to look at Blaine with a confused expression. “Wait. Rewind. Drama school? Degree in theatre? What? I thought you said you owned a publishing company?”

Blaine chuckled as he nodded before resting his head back against Kurt’s. “I do. But I originally moved to California with the intent to become an actor. Unfortunately, acting jobs were hard to come by, so I had to supplement my income with other work. I had always loved taking pictures and even took many photography classes just for fun, so I got a job working at one of those mall portrait studios – just so I could pay the bills between acting gigs. Surprisingly enough, it actually helped me to hone my photography skills quite a bit. I learned a lot of new techniques that really improved the quality of my photos. The more proficient I became, the more I loved being a photographer. I began taking on more photography jobs than I was acting jobs.

“I got into publishing because of my friend, Wes. He had been working for a high-profile magazine publisher but was frustrated that his ideas kept getting overlooked and brushed aside or used without any credit to him while his supervisor reaped all the rewards of his work. So, Wes, decided to quit and create his own magazine – and his own publishing company to produce it. Knowing I was a decent photographer, Wes asked me if I could take a few photos for him, just to help get the initial mockup of his proposed magazine ready to show to a few sponsors to help fund his start-up. After I took the photos, I had him show me the final mockup design. It was a mess. I re-structured the layout for him, and he loved it – the _sponsors_ loved it. So he asked me to go into business with him. He thought it was only fair that I have an equal share of the company since it was my photography and layout work that brought his ideas to life and made them get the reception that they did. We’ve been business partners ever since – expanding our business from publishing one magazine to four completely different ones – two of which I am in charge of.”

“I can sort of relate to the acting thing…I wanted to be on Broadway once,” Kurt whispered, wistfully.

“What happened?” Blaine asked, curiously.

“I didn’t get into the drama school I applied to,” he said. “I couldn’t stand the idea of staying in Ohio though, so I moved to New York anyway – without any kind of plan. I somehow was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Vogue dot com. It was only supposed to be something to keep me busy until I could reapply for NYADA. But it sparked something in me. My boss knew how much I loved fashion, and that I frequently made my own clothing, so she encouraged me to apply to design school instead. She even offered me a scholarship to help pay for it for as long as I remained a part of the company. My meeting with NYADA’s dean about me reapplying for the Spring Semester didn’t go as I’d hoped it would, so I figured why not take Isabelle up on her offer and apply to some design schools instead? To my surprise, I got accepted into a few different programs. Enrolling at FIT turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I met so many wonderful people that helped me to get where I am today – even if I’m not exactly where I want to be yet.”

“Is that how you met Josh?” Blaine wondered.

“No,” Kurt replied. “I met Josh through my friend, Chandler – the birthday boy whose party you are at. Josh works as a sound engineer. Chandler is an aspiring Broadway actor and has been cast in multiple off-Broadway productions where Josh was part of the crew, so they know each other from work. The first time they worked together was almost two years ago. On opening night of their first show, I hung around backstage after the show to celebrate with Chandler, and I ran into Josh. After checking to make sure I was single, he told me I was gorgeous, then asked me on a date. And that was that. The two of them actually just wrapped another show last week; and Chandler invited the entire cast and crew to this party to celebrate – forgetting that Josh and I had just broken-up. Supposedly, Josh told him he couldn’t make it, but either he lied to Chandler or Chandler lied to me.”

“Well, from the little bit of interaction I’ve had with Josh – combined with what you’ve told me about him – my money is on _him_ being the liar,” Blaine said. “And speaking of lying…I know I was the one to bring it up, but maybe we should change the subject to something a little lighter if we’re going to keep our charade up. I mean, it’s a little hard to convince people that you are happy and in love when you are discussing depressing and/or aggravating topics.”

“I suppose you are right,” Kurt agreed. “I’m just not sure I have a lot to be happy about right now.”

\---

When the song they were slow dancing to faded away, and the music switched over to something more upbeat, Blaine began trying to make Kurt laugh by doing silly dance moves, making goofy faces, and attempting to get Kurt to join in.

“What are you doing?” Kurt asked, barely holding back his laughter, as he looked at Blaine in shock.

“Having fun. You should try it,” Blaine said, grabbing hold of Kurt’s hands and swinging them around to the beat, trying to get Kurt to dance with him.

“You look ridiculous,” Kurt told him, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile.

“Sing with me,” Blaine said. He began emphatically singing along to the lyrics of the song while shimmying closer to Kurt.

Kurt burst out laughing. “Oh my god. You are such a dork.”

“Maybe I am…okay, I _definitely_ am,” he replied. Blaine stopped his over-the-top dance moves and attempted to dance normally while giving Kurt a cheeky grin. “But you can’t deny that you still wanna fake-date me. Besides, I made you smile, didn’t I? And I’m pretty sure that _‘cold, heartless, ice queens’_ don’t smile like that.”

Kurt rolled his eyes then began dancing with Blaine. “You may be a dork, but you are also an excellent fake-boyfriend. Thank you.”

\---

After a couple more dances, Kurt and Blaine left the dance floor and got some non-alcoholic drinks from the bar. They took their drinks over to a nearby table so they could sit down and continue to get to know one another, making sure to keep their conversation light and easy.

A few minutes after they sat down, Josh and Phillip joined them at their table. “So I’ve been talking to some people… Nobody at this party has any idea who you are,” Josh said, looking at Blaine. “Care to enlighten me?”

“I told you,” Kurt began, “Blaine is my boyfriend.”

“A boyfriend that nobody has met before?” Josh scoffed. “I find that hard to believe. Especially if you’ve been together for…what did you say? A month?”

“We’ve known each other for a month, but we’ve only been together for three weeks,” Blaine corrected. “And considering that I didn’t live in New York until today, not meeting any of his friends is actually more likely than you would think.”

“Oh this story just keeps getting better and better,” Josh said. “Please, do go on, and dig yourself into an even deeper hole.”

“It’s not a story; it’s the truth,” Kurt said. “Blaine was living in Los Angeles when I first met him. But his business was in the process of opening a new office here in New York, so he was constantly flying back-and-forth. He would only be here in the city for a few days at a time before heading back to California. I didn’t want to squander the precious few moments I had to be with him by showing him off to all my friends. But now that his work at his old office in L.A. is all wrapped up, he no longer has to split his time between the two cities and can stay in New York permanently.”

“Exactly,” Blaine agreed. “And Kurt didn’t mention to anyone that I would be here tonight because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it. Luckily, things worked out, and I was able to fly in today – even though I can’t move into my apartment until tomorrow.”

Josh looked at them skeptically. “Right… So, what is it you do exactly?”

“I own my own publishing company; and I’m a layout editor and photographer for two of our publications,” Blaine told him.

“You _own_ your own company?” Josh asked, disbelieving. “Huh…okay. So, how does someone like you – who is in-and-out of New York all the time – meet someone like Kurt who practically lives at work?”

“Easy,” Blaine replied. “I walked into his store hoping to find an outfit for a meeting that appeared on my schedule last-minute. Kurt asked me if I needed help, and we just got completely sidetracked talking about fashion in general. After my meeting, I came back in to thank him for all of his help and advice, and we just clicked. I had wanted to ask him out for coffee then, but unfortunately, I had to catch a flight so instead I asked him for his number. We stayed in touch, and next time I was back in New York, I called him up and asked him to dinner. We’ve been together ever since.”

“You asked him out even though you didn’t live here? Why does that seem hard to believe?” Josh asked him.

“It’s actually not hard to understand at all,” Blaine began. “I knew I’d be moving here in a few weeks, and I would be making multiple trips here before the move as well. Why should I wait? Just because I was not able to physically be with him every single day, doesn’t mean I wasn’t able to _talk_ to him. A person doesn’t need to see someone in order to connect with them and get close to them – to have a _meaningful_ relationship. I mean, you don’t see _your_ boyfriend every single day, do you?”

Josh glared at Blaine, but before he could say anything Blaine cut him off. “I think it’s my turn to ask a question now. Why do you care? Why are you so concerned about _my_ relationship with _my_ boyfriend? If I were you,” Blaine pointed over to where Phillip had wandered off after Josh had asked about Blaine’s job, “I would be more attentive to my own boyfriend, instead of harassing my ex and trying to – _falsely_ – expose him as a liar.”

A look of confusion flashed across Josh’s face as he did a double-take between Blaine and Phillip. He then jolted out of his seat and hurried to cross the room to where Phillip was standing, leaving Blaine and Kurt alone at the table.

“Wow…” Kurt mumbled in disbelief, staring after Josh. Looking back at Blaine he continued, “I’m sorry that I got you involved in this mess. I knew he’d be a little suspicious about our supposed relationship, but I didn’t think he’d be _this_ bothered by it and feel the need to scrutinize every single detail.”

“If I’m being honest with you,” Blaine said, looking at Kurt sympathetically, “I don’t think he’s over you.”

“I find that hard to believe considering that he had emotionally checked-out of our relationship about a month or so prior to our break-up,” Kurt replied. “I kept hoping he’d talk to me about it; but he didn’t. By the time I had the courage to bring it up myself, and ask what was wrong, he had already met Phillip. He told me that since my store and my fashion line were the only things I knew how to care about, he had to find emotional comfort elsewhere. He said I was too cold and emotionless, and that I would wind up dying alone because no one wants to be with someone who can’t put other people’s feelings above their own. Then he broke-up with me. Began officially dating Phillip later that same day.”

Blaine got up, walked around the table, pulled Kurt out of his seat, and swept him into a tight hug. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Blaine said, comfortingly. “He was obviously going through something and taking his issues out on you. But you are not to blame for his emotional cheating. And you are definitely not cold, heartless, or emotionless.” Pulling back from the hug, Blaine held onto Kurt’s waist, looking at him earnestly. “I don’t know what was going on in Josh’s head at that time, but he had absolutely no right to say those things to you. You didn’t deserve to hear them. And he didn’t deserve _you_ for saying them. I’ve only known you for a few hours and I can already tell that you are an _incredibly_ compassionate and considerate person. There is no way that someone with a heart as big as yours is going to die alone. The fact that he thinks you will…it’s a sign of his own failings, not yours.”

Kurt sniffled as he tried to discreetly wipe away the couple of tears that had fallen. He gave Blaine an appreciative smile and replied in a slightly playful voice, “Thank you. You are the best fake-boyfriend I’ve ever had.”

Blaine gasped, putting a hand over his heart, as he looked at Kurt with faux heartbreak. “Best? You mean there have been others? This isn’t your first pretend relationship? I thought what we had was _special_.” He fanned his face with his hands to dry his non-existent tears while Kurt giggled at his overdramatic performance.

Hearing Kurt’s giggle, Blaine stopped his theatrics and smiled at Kurt. “I’m glad I could make you laugh. You deserve to be happy.” After a few seconds of staring at Kurt with an adoring smile, Blaine cleared his throat awkwardly then continued, “So, I sort of feel like our little charade here is keeping you from your friends at this party. Do you have anyone that you wanted to talk to, or…?”

Kurt looked around the room before looking back at Blaine. “Honestly? I only know a small handful of people here. I already spoke to Chandler when I first arrived. And the rest of them all look to be occupied with other people. If it wasn’t for Chandler insisting that I come – and that Josh wouldn’t be here – I probably would have stayed home with my sketchpad and sewing machine. So, no…I don’t really have anyone else that I need to talk to tonight.”

“Well, in that case, what shall we do with the rest of our evening?” Blaine asked. “Because, unless you feel like going home, we should probably remain close – keep up our little ruse.”

“It’s still a little too early to leave,” Kurt replied. “After all, the cake hasn’t been served yet. And I didn’t spend 2 hours getting ready for this party – and endure having to speak with my ex – just so I could _not_ eat cake; especially since Chandler ordered it from Goodman’s Bakery. I don’t know if you’ve ever had marble cake from Goodman’s, but it is _to die for_.”

Blaine chuckled, shaking his head. “I’m afraid that I have not had that luxury yet.”

“You don’t know what you’re missing,” Kurt said. “As you are now a full-time New York resident, I have to say, this is unacceptable. I’m making an executive decision right now that you will not leave this party until after the cake is served and you have eaten a slice. Trust me, your taste buds will thank me for it.”

Blaine quickly stood at attention and saluted Kurt. “Aye aye, Captain!”

Kurt hid his face in his hands while blushing, smiling, and shaking his head. Looking back at Blaine, he rolled his eyes, then reached out for Blaine’s hand, pulling him away from their table. “Dork. Come on. Let’s go dance.”

\---

Throughout the evening, the two men stayed close together, dancing, chatting, and having a good time. When the cake was brought out, Chandler stood at the front of the room and gave a heartfelt – yet slightly drunken – speech, profusely thanking everyone for coming. He then made a big show of making a wish before blowing out the candles and cutting the cake. The caterers quickly took over and began cutting and plating the slices for the guests.

Kurt walked up to the table, grabbed two slices, and handed one of them to Blaine. He looked at Blaine with a giddy smile. “Go on. Try it. You’re gonna love it. It’s like an orgasm in your mouth.”

Blaine snorted, looking at Kurt in a cross between amusement and shock. “You know, it’s been a while since I’ve had one of those.”

Kurt huffed and rolled his eyes at Blaine’s comment, making a hurry up motion with his hand to encourage Blaine to taste the dessert. “If you don’t hurry up and eat that cake, I’m going to force feed it to you.”

“Aww, you want to feed me cake? How romantic!” Blaine replied, playfully, batting his eyelashes at him while holding out his fork toward Kurt to take.

“Will you just…” he trailed off, sighing. “Fine, I’ll feed you.” Kurt took the fork from Blaine and used it to cut into the slice of cake on the plate Blaine was holding, then popped a bitesize piece into Blaine’s mouth.

Blaine wrapped his lips around the fork and moaned loudly, “Mmm…” After swallowing down the piece, Blaine took his fork back, then looked back up at Kurt – who had an unreadable expression on his face. “Oh. My. God. That is _delicious_! _Way_ better than any orgasm I’ve ever tasted.”

Kurt lightly slapped Blaine’s arm. “Don’t be so crude. That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it. But I told you that cake was good, didn’t I?”

“You did,” he answered. “However, ‘good’ is an understatement. That cake is _amazing_. What did you say the name of the bakery was again? Goodman’s?” When Kurt nodded at him, Blaine continued, “I’ll have to keep that in mind for future festivities.”

Now that Blaine had tried the cake, Kurt finally began to dig into his own slice to enjoy the mouthwatering flavor. After a few bites, he looked back over at Blaine, who was smirking at him. “What?”

“You, um…” Blaine motioned to the corner of Kurt’s mouth, “you have a little bit of frosting…” Kurt poked his tongue out and tried to lick the corner of his mouth where Blaine was pointing. Blaine chuckled and shook his head. “Here, let me…” He brushed the pad of his thumb across the spot, wiping away the frosting.

As Blaine was bringing his hand away, Kurt grabbed hold of his wrist then wrapped his lips around Blaine’s thumb to lick it clean of frosting. Blaine’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at Kurt in shock. “Sorry,” Kurt apologized, blushing, after releasing Blaine’s – now clean – thumb from his mouth. “It’s just really good frosting. Didn’t want it to go to waste.”

“No, um, it’s quite alright,” Blaine reassured him. “No need to apologize. You just caught me a little off guard is all.” He swallowed thickly, then motioned to his throat. “I think I need a drink. Would you like me to get you one as well?”

“Uh…yes, please. If you don’t mind,” Kurt answered.

“Diet cola?” he checked. Kurt nodded at him, so Blaine took off to the bar to get their drinks, tossing his now empty paper plate into the trash on the way over.

\---

After their drinks were gone, the two men shared one more dance before deciding to call it a night. “I’ve got a busy day ahead of me tomorrow,” Kurt began. “I should say goodnight to Chandler and head home. Thank you so much for helping me out tonight. I know Josh was a little aggravating with his questions and suspicions but believe me when I say that was nothing compared to what I would have faced had you not agreed to my proposal. His gloating and grandstanding would have been unbearable. I probably would have run out of this room in tears to go home and drown my sorrows in ice cream.”

“You are more than welcome, Kurt,” Blaine told him. “I may not have had any guys tell me I’m cold and heartless, but I _have_ been accused of being a workaholic that puts my job above my relationship…more than once. So, I understand how much comments like that can hurt; especially when I disagreed with those accusations. I’m glad I was able to help you enjoy your evening a little. And for what it’s worth, you deserve better than Josh.”

“I know I do,” he agreed. “Thank you.” Kurt gave Blaine a quick peck on the cheek, then rushed to the other side of the ballroom where Chandler was talking with some other guests.

Blaine watched him say a few words to his friend then walk toward the exit, wishing that he was brave enough to follow Kurt out of the ballroom and ask him out for real.


	2. Chapter 2

_[One month later]_

The bell on the shop door rang alerting Kurt to a new customer. “Hi; welcome to Hummel’s Boutique. Can I help you find anything today?” he asked the tall, redheaded woman who entered.

“Actually, I was hoping you might be able to tell me more about this display in the window,” she answered, pointing at one particular mannequin. “My boss was walking past this store earlier and was captivated by the ensemble, but he couldn’t pinpoint the designer. He would have stopped in himself to ask, but he was running late for an important meeting. So, naturally, it’s up to me to get him all the details.”

“That particular outfit is part of the _Humm Out Loud_ fashion line,” Kurt told her. “And the designer would be yours truly.”

“You designed it?” she asked, impressed. “Do you have any other pieces from that line I could look at?”

“Of course, right this way,” he said.

Kurt showed the woman several of his designs, beaming with pride at how she admired each piece. After a few moments of appraising each outfit she was shown, she had asked permission to take some photos with her phone to send to her boss.

“Are you free tonight by any chance?” the woman asked, barely looking up from her phone.

“Uh…” he hesitated, confused.

“ _Warbler Magazine_ is having a party to celebrate its fifth anniversary, as well as the official opening of their brand-new office here in New York,” she replied. “Mr. Anderson would like to meet the man behind the design that caught his eye earlier.”

“I’m sorry. Did you say _Warbler Magazine_?” Kurt asked, shocked. “As in, _Warbler Fashion & Entertainment_? As in the very same magazine that out-sold _Vogue_ 2 to 1 in its very first year of production? That _Warbler Magazine_?”

The woman did a double-take at Kurt then face-palmed. “I’m so sorry, you’ll have to forgive me. I’m a little scatter-brained at the moment. It’s been a hectic day.” She offered her hand in greeting and continued, “My name is Stacey Kessler. I am the personal assistant to Mr. Anderson, the owner of _Council Publishing_ and head of _Warbler Magazine_. I know it’s last-minute, but if you are free tonight, Mr. Anderson would like it if you could attend the party to set up a possible meeting with you about your clothing line.”

“My shift here ends in an hour. So, just let me know when and where, and I’ll be there,” Kurt replied.

Stacey beamed at him then opened her large purse and began looking through it. After a moment of digging around, she pulled out a 4”x6” piece of cardstock. “Here is an invitation to the party with all the relevant information you need to know – time, location, attire guidelines, etc. You need to bring this with you to gain entrance to the event. I seem to be out of Mr. Anderson’s business cards, but here is mine if you have any additional questions.”

“Thank you so much,” he said, taking the items.

“I look forward to seeing you at the party tonight,” Stacey replied, then hurriedly left the store.

\---

After giving his invitation to the doorman, Kurt walked into the party and began looking around the room for Stacey. He paused, doing a quick double-take at a man across the room. “Blaine?” he whispered to himself. The man had just finished a conversation with someone, so Kurt took a chance and hurriedly walked over to him. “Excuse me? Blaine?”

Blaine turned to look at him and his face broke out into a bright grin. “Kurt?”

“So you do remember me,” he replied, coyly.

“You are pretty difficult to forget,” Blaine said. “How are you? Wait… How are you here?”

“I was just about to ask you the same question,” Kurt answered. “You’re not crashing another party, are you?”

Blaine chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I actually belong at this one. And I didn’t exactly crash the last one; I was invited by another guest…as the plus-one of her plus-one.” He paused, raking his eyes over Kurt’s appearance. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Neither can I actually,” Kurt replied, softly, looking around the room in awe. “But I’m really glad to see you right now. It’s nice to see a friendly face here.”

“Yeah; it’s good to see you too,” Blaine told him.

“If I’m being honest with myself…” he began, nervously, “I’ve actually been hoping that I’d run into you again for the past month. I was hoping I could maybe pay you back for helping me out that night. Maybe take you to dinner or something? If you’d be up for that sort of thing.”

Blaine smiled at the admission. “I am _definitely_ up for that. In fact, I was sort of kicking myself for not asking you for your number after your friend’s party. I really enjoyed talking to you and getting to know you that night. And I especially enjoyed dancing with you. But I… I was _terrified_ that I was reading too much into our fake-relationship and you wouldn’t want to hear from me.”

“You were?” he asked. “Because I was thinking the same thing about you. By your own admission, you are a decent actor after all.”

Blaine chuckled, ducking his head as he blushed. “The only part of that evening that was acting, were the lies we told your ex. Everything else…” he trailed off, shrugging.

“In that case, you should definitely make sure to get my number before either of us leaves tonight,” Kurt replied. “Maybe we could even share another dance or two. But first, I really need to find someone…”

“Well, with the exception of a few people that are here as a plus-one, I happen to know pretty much everyone here; so I can probably help you find whoever it is you’re looking for,” Blaine said.

“You don’t happen to know a tall, redheaded woman named Stacey…Kessler? I think that’s her name,” Kurt asked.

“Yeah; of course I know Stacey. She’s my assistant,” Blaine told him. He looked at Kurt with a quizzical expression. “Why are you looking for her?”

Kurt stopped his scan of the room and whipped his head back around to look at Blaine. “Wait. She’s _your_ assistant?”

“Yes?” he answered, confused.

“Blaine… This may seem like a silly question, but I’m just now realizing that I don’t know the answer… What is your last name?” Kurt asked.

“Anderson,” he replied. “Why? What’s yours?”

“Hummel,” Kurt told him.

Blaine’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh my god. You own Hummel’s Boutique. You’re the designer I asked Stacey to invite.”

“Yeah. And apparently you own _Warbler Magazine_ ,” Kurt said. “You know, when we were at Chandler’s party and you said you owned a publishing company and ran a few magazines, I thought you were talking about indie stuff that practically no one has heard of, not a nationally recognized magazine that is comparable to _Vogue_ in sales. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because I had _literally_ just met you, Kurt,” Blaine said, sighing. “I had already agreed to be your fake-boyfriend for the night before I knew pretty much anything other than your name. When you told me you were a quote-unquote ‘unsuccessful fashion designer’, I immediately went into self-preservation mode. I, unfortunately, have had numerous guys try to use me for my company and my connections. I didn’t want what _should_ have been pretend feelings to impact my very real business. And I’ve noticed that unless I specify the name of one of my company’s magazines, most people think the same way you did – that I publish things that no one has ever heard of, and they usually don’t bother to ask for examples. So, I was careful to avoid mentioning any names…and, as suspected, you didn’t ask for more info.”

“Oh,” Kurt replied. “I wouldn’t have tried to use you. Not intentionally at least. But I guess I can understand why you didn’t tell me.”

“After getting to know you a little better, I knew it was highly unlikely that you’d _intentionally_ try to use me like that – especially since you used to work at Vogue and still have connections there; but I still felt cautious because I wasn’t sure how _deep_ those connections went,” Blaine said. “However, not _once_ did you mention the name of your store, your website, or your clothing line. Didn’t even mention the neighborhood where your store is located. I figured, if you’re not going to promote your designs to someone who is new in town that might want to go shopping at your store, you probably aren’t going to try to scam me for free publicity or use me for my connections. Which, if I can offer some unsolicited advice, it might actually help your sales if you tell people where they can buy your stuff.”

Kurt nodded. “I know. I thought about mentioning the name to you. Several times actually. Even thought about slipping you my business card with the store address and website info. But every time, I kept hearing Josh’s voice in the back of my head saying that I was putting too much emphasis on _work_ again, and not enough on…well, anything else, so I just kept my mouth shut.”

“Next time you hear his voice in the back of your head telling you something, ignore it. Just imagine yourself punching him in the face and telling him to shut up. He’s displayed on more than one occasion that he doesn’t actually know what he’s talking about,” Blaine replied. “Although, as annoying as your ex is, I’m actually grateful he showed up to that party. Otherwise, I might not have met you.”

“Just like I’m grateful that your brother dragged you along, just to ditch you as soon as you arrived,” Kurt retorted, smirking.

“Don’t let Cooper hear you say that; he’ll never let me live it down,” Blaine joked.

“Did someone say my name?” Cooper asked, walking up behind Kurt. “Hey, Blainey, Wes is looking for you.”

“Oh, um, thanks, Coop,” Blaine said.

“Hey, wait. It’s you!” Cooper said, pointing at Kurt. “You’re the boy from the party at the hotel last month. The one Blaine was making heart eyes at all night.” Looking back at Blaine, Cooper added, “You found him? You didn’t tell me you found him.”

“That’s because I didn’t know that I had, until he walked in the door a few minutes ago,” Blaine told him.

“You were looking for me?” Kurt asked.

Blaine shrugged, bashfully. “Maybe? I mean, I _may_ have asked the receptionist at the hotel that invited us to the party if she knew where I could find you. But she didn’t know who you were, and apparently didn’t know Chandler well enough to have his number so we could ask him; nor would she look up the ballroom reservation info to get his number so we could ask him about you. But…you’re here now; and that’s what matters.” His eyes darted off to the side and he sighed heavily. “Wes is flagging me down. I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere. Please?”

“I’ll be here all night,” Kurt replied. “After all, I agreed to another dance, didn’t I?”

Blaine reached out for Kurt’s hand, bringing it to his lips for a quick kiss, then dashed off to speak to his business partner.

\---

After Blaine left, Cooper looked over at Kurt curiously. “So…if Blaine didn’t know you’d be here tonight…how are you here?”

“Well, Blaine invited me. He just didn’t realize it was _me_ that he was inviting,” Kurt replied. At Cooper’s confused expression, he hurried to elaborate. “Blaine sent his assistant into my store to ask about something he saw in the window earlier today. After talking to me and sending Blaine some photos of my designs, Blaine told her to invite me to the party. I had no idea she was texting Blaine, and Blaine had no idea I was the designer she was texting him about.”

“Ah! Okay,” Cooper said, nodding. “In that case, I hope you are as trustworthy as Blaine thinks you are. Because I’d hate to see him get hurt because you thought you could use whatever personal relationship you have with him to further your business.”

“I wouldn’t do that,” he denied. “I really like Blaine. I liked him even before I knew he owned _Warbler_ – this doesn’t change anything for me. He’s still just Blaine. As much as I love my designs and my store, and want them to succeed, I want to obtain that success because I _earned_ it, not because I conned someone into giving me undeserved promotion. That’s why I haven’t asked my former boss at Vogue for any favors regarding my designs or my store.”

“Well then, I’m glad you’re here,” Cooper said, appeased by his answer. “And that you apparently feel the same way about Blaine that he does you. I know he was scared you were only acting. But I also know that he was beating himself up pretty badly for wussing out and not asking you out for real. If he didn’t have so many things to distract himself with that weekend, I’m pretty sure he would have been insufferable with his moping.”

“I can relate,” Kurt told him. “Although, my distractions didn’t really distract me all that much. I ended up designing a whole new line of bowties while trying to forget about him.”

Cooper smiled and laughed. “Has he seen those yet? Because I’m sure he’ll love them. And to think…it took me _hours_ to convince him that there was even a possibility that you weren’t _just_ putting on a show for your ex. I had to practically torture him to ask Jessica – the receptionist – about you. And, like Blaine said, she wasn’t much help; just said that she thought you looked familiar but didn’t know much else.”

“Wait. _Looked_ familiar? How did she know what I looked like if she didn’t know who I was?” Kurt asked. “Did you point me out to her at the party or something?”

Cooper’s eyes lit up. “Blainey didn’t tell you about the photos?”

“What photos?” he asked.

“I took a couple pics of the two of you with my phone while we were at that party,” Cooper told him. “It was the first time in a long time I’d seen my little brother look _that_ happy. He hasn’t had a lot of luck when it comes to guys. But the two of you just seemed to have something special; and I wanted to capture the moment. Showing Blaine those pics was part of how I was able to convince him you might like him back.” Holding up a finger, Cooper then pulled his phone out of his pocket and started looking through its contents. “Ah, here they are. Give me your number. I’ll text them to you.”

“Okay,” he replied, hesitantly. He recited his number for Cooper, and a moment later he received a text with the photos attached. Kurt gasped as he looked at the pictures he was sent before smiling bashfully. “Thank you, Cooper. These are beautiful.”

\---

Blaine returned to Kurt’s side, and dutifully sent Cooper away so that they could be alone. “I hope my brother wasn’t bothering you too much. I know he can be a bit overbearing at times.”

“Not at all. Cooper was just looking out for you; he cares about you,” Kurt replied, smiling. “He texted me the photos he took of us at Chandler’s party.”

“How does my brother have your number and I don’t?” Blaine pouted.

“Give me your phone and I’ll give it to you,” he answered. Blaine unlocked his phone then handed it over to Kurt. After inputting his number into Blaine’s contacts, Kurt then sent himself a text so that he’d have Blaine’s number as well. “There. Now you have it. And I have yours. So, now that that is out of the way, what do you say we go dance?”

“I say, ‘lead the way’,” Blaine replied.

While they were dancing the two men chatted about Kurt’s conversation with Cooper, as well as trying to catch each other up on things that have happened since the last time they saw each other.

“You were right about Josh you know,” Kurt told him.

“Not that I’m going to argue with that, but right about what exactly?” he asked.

“When you told me that he wasn’t over me,” Kurt said. “I ran into a friend of his that told me that he and Phillip broke up a few days after Chandler’s party because they’d been fighting about me and how much Josh was paying attention to _us_ at the party.”

“It’s his own fault for not appreciating what he had when he had it,” Blaine told him. “I know that if I was in his shoes, I would be jealous of anyone that you deemed worthy of your affection. I mean, I only spent a few hours _pretending_ to be your boyfriend, but I was already lamenting the end of our relationship before you had even exited the ballroom. I’m really glad that fate is giving me a second chance with you – to have something _real_ with you.” His eyes darted down to Kurt’s lips, staring at them with desire.

“Me too,” Kurt agreed.

As soon as Kurt spoke those words, Blaine surged forward, kissing him. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was full of passion.

Kurt giggled, resting his forehead against Blaine’s when the kiss broke. “I have been wanting you to do that for the past _month_. But maybe we should turn the PDA down a notch? This is a _corporate_ party after all.”

“It’s _my_ party, and I’ll kiss who I want to,” Blaine said, smirking. He then pecked Kurt on the lips before adding, “But you’re the only person here I want to kiss.”

“I don’t think it’s possible for this night to get any better,” Kurt replied.

“I think it can,” Blaine told him, smiling mischievously. Kurt gave him a questioning look, so Blaine continued, “I ordered the cake from Goodman’s Bakery.”

This time it was Kurt who surged forward to kiss Blaine senseless.


End file.
